Goliath
At the highest mountain peaks — far above the slopes where trees grow and where the air is thin and the frigid winds howl — dwell the reclusive goliaths. Few folk can claim to have seen a goliath, and fewer still can claim friendship with them. Goliaths wander a bleak realm of rock, wind, and cold. Their bodies look as if they are carved from mountain stone and give them great physical power. Their spirits take after the wandering wind, making them nomads who wander from peak to peak. Their hearts are infused with the cold regard of their frigid realm, leaving each goliath with the responsibility to earn a place in the tribe or die trying. Making a Goliath Traits Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1. Age. '''Goliaths have lifespans comparable to humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than a century. '''Alignment. Goliath society, with its clear roles and tasks, has a strong lawful bent. The goliath sense of fairness, balanced with an emphasis on selfsufficiency and personal accountability, pushes them toward neutrality. Size. Goliaths are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 450 and 515 pounds. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. Mountain Born. You’re acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet. You’re also naturally adapted to cold climates, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Natural Athlete. You have proficiency in the Athletics skill. Stone’s Endurance. You can focus yourself to occasionally shrug off injury. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled, and reduce the damage by that total. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant. Personality Goliaths' most notable characteristic is their competitiveness. They keep track of their accomplishments and see everything as a challenge. Those not familiar with goliath psychology often get annoyed when goliaths constantly remind them how many times a certain thing has happened, thinking them arrogant or self-centered. This is not the case however. To goliaths, score-keeping is a natural and integral part of life, not meant to belittle or demean anyone. But a goliath's most fierce competitor is themselves. Beating their own records is the most satisfying victory for a goliath. They are also competitive with their companions and other goliaths, but are never arrogant or cocky. Goliaths have little time for cheaters, gloaters, and sore losers. Goliaths never hold grudges if they lost a fair fight, and often repeat the goliath maxim that "Today's rival is tomorrow's teammate." Their constant comparison to their past accomplishments can be hard on goliaths that fail to meet goals or measure up to achievements of the past. Goliaths often feel dissatisfied with anything that doesn't surpass a victory from their past. This unfortunate element of goliath psychology leads to many older goliaths to be very unhappy with themselves when they can no longer perform as well as they could in their youth. It is rare for goliath adventurers to retire or live to an old age, as they often die trying to surpass their previous achievements. Permanently injured or aging goliaths often seek death in battle rather than succumb to an existence where they could not excel. Trust and honor are the key aspects of most goliaths. This tradition of honor and trust mean that goliaths tend to be good overall. This combined with their competitive nature often lead goliaths to valorous heroics. Goliaths are also notably daring and fearless. Feats of physical strength and agility, like jumping chasms or climbing cliffs, hold no fear for goliaths. Goliaths are naturally curious beings and loved to explore. Complacency is a trait that goliaths loathed and as a result they never take anything for granted. Even goliaths with magical advantages continue to train their physical prowess in case they ever lose their power. Combat Goliath tribes only go to war as a final option, preferring to move away from unsafe lands. They do not do this out of fear or cowardice, instead they are aware that loss of life in their tribe was undesirable and had long-term consequences. If forced to go to war, however, a tribe will do so without fear. Circumstances that might force a tribe included being cornered or having members of their tribe kidnapped. Once weapons are distributed and war-captains are chosen, a goliath tribe could quickly become a very capable war-band. Goliaths are always at the peak of their physical condition and their fine-tuned hunting skills make them competent warriors at a moment's notice. All adult goliaths (regardless of gender) will fight in times of war. Only children and infants are expected not to fight. Hide and leather armor are favored by goliaths as they already had naturally durable bodies and did not like to restrict their movement. Goliaths often use large two-handed weapons to make the most of their considerable strength. Goliaths often employ guerrilla tactics in battle, owing to their upbringing as hunters. Fair-play is also integral to goliath fights. As long as they are fairly sure they could still win, goliaths will even handicap themselves to give their opponents a fair chance. For example, if a goliath disarmed their opponent, they might throw aside their own weapon and continue the fight with their fists. As with their recreational sports, goliaths seriously frown upon "cheating" in battle. Finishing off a fallen foe, taking hostages, and attacking civilians are considered distasteful and unfair. Sometimes slavers are known to steal goliath infants and raise them as brutal gladiators.Category:Races Category:Playable Races